Biggles at World's End/plot
Chapter 1: A Matter of History Von Stalhein gives the British government some important news which concerns an event from from long ago. A German World War 1 cruiser, the Dresden had escaped from British forces after the Battle of the Falklands. She managed to hide out among the islands in the Magellan Strait for several months before she was hunted down and sunk by Royal Navy warships. Apparently, before the battle, the Dresden had captured a load of gold and platinum from a British merchant ship the Wyndham Star and had buried the treasure on a remote island before its final battle. Von Stalhein believes the Russians may have learnt about the event, probably through a survivor from the Dresden and they may have despatched an expedition. It is really a job for the navy, but there is some urgency, so Biggles is asked to go out by air, at least to ascertain if the Russians are also on the trail. As a cover, Biggles could search for two British botanists Carter and Barlow who had actually gone missing in the Magellan Straits recently. It is a distant operation far from support facilities so Biggles bargains for more modern equipment. The Air Commodore agrees and suggests the Gadfly. Chapter 2: An Uncivil Reception Biggles, Algy, Ginger, and Bertie arrive at Punta Arenas where they get an unfriendly reception from the airport manager Hugo Gontermann who would have refused them permission to use the airfield altogether were it not for the fact that Biggles carried a letter from the Chilean Embassy in London requesting the co-operation of Chilean officials. Chapter 3: Disturbing News They get on better with Gontermann's friend assistant Juan Vendez. He sets them up at a local hotel and suggests that they look up a local ships chandler Mr Scott for information about Carter and Barlow. Mr Scott tells the British botanists had hired and gone off in his yacht, the Seaspray some months ago. He also gives them a bit of background on Gontermann. He was Chilean but his father was a German sailor who sailed on the Dresden. Gontermann had apparently served with the German Air Force during World War 2 before returning to take on his present job. He was a good sailor and spent a lot of time sailing in his yacht Der Wespe and knew the local waters as well as anyone. Chapter 4: A Flimsy Clue The next day Biggles and Co. make a first reconnaissance. Below, they see Gontermann in Der Wespe heading out on a cruise. Later, landing on "Indian Reach", they meet a native Indian family in a canoe who have a piece of red fabric. Back at Punta Arenas, Mr Scott confirms that it is part of the sail from the Seaspray. Chapter 5: Smoke There follows two weeks without much progress being made. Then many things seem to happen at once. A message arrives from Air Commodore Raymond advising them that "others" might shortly be joining them--a coded reference to the Russians being on the move. Next, Biggles learns from Vendez that Gontermann had not been seen for three days--he had presumably gone off on one of his long cruises. Then, in the air, Ginger spots some smoke, so they land on a beach nearby to explore. Chapter 6: The Castaways Biggles, Ginger and Bertie approach the source of the smoke and are accosted by a bedraggled man with a rifle. It is Carter. Barlow is lying wounded inside a shelter made from the red sails of the Seapray. They had been collecting plant specimens on an island nearby when two men approached them and opened fire, hitting Barlow. Biggles sends Ginger to fetch food and medicines from the Gadfly. Meanwhile he tells Carter he is a British policeman. Carter's account about the men shooting without explanation does not add up. What's the full story? Chapter 7: Mr Carter Tells His Tale Carter admits that he knows what the two men were after. He and Barlow had been collecting specimens on an island when they came across a pile of bar gold and platinum, all exposed on the beach. They had moved it to the other end of the beach. Thereafter, two men approached them and asked what they were doing. They seemed satisfied with the explanation that Carter and Barlow were botanists and moved off. Carter and Barlow then boarded their yacht to cast off but the two men came running back, shouting. They then stared shooting and hit Barlow. Carter tried to sail the yacht on his own but a squall came up and the boat hit some rocks and ran aground. He and Barlow came ashore and since that time, about two months ago, they had survived on their meagre supplies and by foraging. They had not seen the two men since, but Carter believes they were landed on the island by Der Wespe, proving that they were accomplices of Gontermann. Ginger and Bertie come back with news: Der Wespe is approaching! Chapter 8: Gontermann Shows His Hand Gontermann shows up with another man. He makes a show about being pleased that Carter and Barlow had been found but then he behaves strangely, asking to speak to Carter alone on a personal matter. Carter refuses. And then Barlow recognises Gontermann's companion as the one who had shot him. The man insists it was an accident. Gontermann is obviously not making any progress so he decides to move off. Biggles and Ginger also move back to the Gadfly to join Algy. They see Gontermann and his friend approaching. There now follows a farcical episode. Gontermann's friend expresses interest in the plane because he has never seen an aircraft. So Biggles plays along and goes through the motion of giving him a tour of the interior. Obviously he really only wants to ascertain if there is gold on board. Chapter 9: Questions and Answers Biggles and co. flies the two botanists to Rio Gallegos to get them out of Gontermann's reach. They send a short message to Raymond about their progress and then they return to Punta Arenas. They are surprised to find Gontermann suddenly friendly and chatty but he seems annoyed to learn that Carter and Barlow had been flown to Argentina. Chapter 10: Thwarted After a few days delay due to bad weather, Biggles, Ginger and Bertie take off for the island where Carter and Barlow had found the gold. They are thwarted from landing when they spot Gontermann's accomplices on the island so Biggles diverts to the island where they picked up Carter and Barlow instead. They then put on a show of digging for the gold, knowing that Gontermann's men would be watching and would be enticed to come over. Chapter 11: Risky Work Biggles and co. take off again and from high above, they see Gontermann's men have indeed moved over to their island. They now put down on the gold island but the weather is deteriorating rapidly with heavy seas and ice drifting into the bay. There is no time to even go ashore. Biggles is forced to make a hasty take off. Back at Punta Arenas, they learn from Vendez that Gontermann has gone off for another of his long sails. Meanwhile, Algy who has been left behind because of a sprained ankle, has received a letter from Raymond advising that H.M.S. Petrel, a British frigate is on its way. Chapter 12: Gontermann Pulls a Fast One The bad weather prevents Biggles and co. from flying for a few days. More worrying for them, a Russian whaler has arrived in the port. Mr Scott, the ship's chandler, tells them some men on board have been asking for Gontermann. Biggles goes to the airport to get news of Gontermann from Vendez and there he has a shock. Gontermann has made a report to headquarters accusing Biggles and co. of spying. Vendez tells them they have been grounded pending arrival of some security officials from Santiago. The weather is still bad, but clearing, so Biggles persuades Vendez to let them go on one more flight, just for a few hours. He promises to be back to be interviewed by the officials. "To fly in this weather you must be mad," Vendez says. Biggles syas he will share a secret: "We are." They take off. Chapter 13: The Weather Takes a Hand They get to the gold island and locate the gold. They now find themselves grounded by fog, so Biggles covers the gold again and taxis the Gadlfy over the spot, knowing Gontermann might turn up. They then have to sit out the weather. Chapter 14: Battle of Wits The next morning, they are still stranded by the fog. Gontermann and his two friends arrive in the Wespe. Gontermann demands to know where the gold is. He says he knows they found it and he tries a variety of tactics, hinting there is enough for both groups and finally drawing a gun. The standoff is however broken when a party of Indians find Gontermann's dinghy and begin stealing from it. Gontermann and his friends are forced to run back to protect their property. Chapter 15: Stalemate Gontermann comes back and another standoff ensues which degenerates into a gun battle as Gontermann shows he is willing to shoot his way to the aircraft. However it is interuppted by a ship's siren. The whaler has arrived! Sensing victory, Gontermann hurries off to welcome the reinforcements. Biggles and co. make ready for a hasty take off and escape. Chapter 16: How It Ended But departure proves unnecessary. The whaler becomes grounded on a sandbank. The British frigate Petrel now arrives with Algy on board and Biggles is all too happy to hand over the matter of the gold to the navy. Biggles drops off his crew at Rio Gallegos and then returns to Punta Arenas to "face the music". Vendez and the Chilean officials are surprised to see that Biggles has come back as promised. They tell him they know all about the gold--having read Carter and Barlow's journal which described their discovery of it. Biggles had brought back this journal from their ship and had left in Vendez's office to dry. They agree that the matter of the gold should be dealt with by their respective governments and so let Biggles go. Before departing, Biggles tells them Gontermann was working for a foreign power and was now on board the stranded Russian whaler. He would be wise to stay on board, the officials concluded. Biggles takes his leave, thanking them for their courtesy. Back in London, Biggles sends a present to Vendez and to Carter and Barlow. Gontermann is never seen again and the whaler is later found to have been abandoned. Category:Plot summaries